ANY IDEA WHO SAID THIS?“Very few times in my life have I laid off maybe two to three days, and it seemed like it took me a month to three months to get back those three days when I took a rest. It's a tough situation. I had to practice and play all the time. My swing wasn't the best in the world and I knew it wasn’t. And then I thought, well, the only way I can win is just to outwork these fellas. After I won a couple of tournaments, I noticed these folks were practicing longer, and I don't know why that was. But they had to stay with me, and if it had been 12 hours during the day, I would have been out there 12 hours because I enjoyed it.”

BRAIN TEASER: How many times did Ben Hogan win on the PGA TOUR over his career?

INSIDER INFORMATION: Arccos Golf has announced the release of its next-generation artificial intelligence platform, Arccos Caddie 2.0. It will provide players with real-time strategies for every shot on any hole in the world, according to the company. Powered by Microsoft Azure, Arccos Caddie has also been made a free feature for all users of the Arccos 360 system.

Arccos boasts over 100 million shots hit during 1 million rounds played by its community, and 418 million GPS mapping data points on 40,000+ courses worldwide. Through a series of hackfests and other collaborations, these resources were harnessed by Arccos engineers and Microsoft’s A.I. scientists. The result represents a significant expansion of Arccos Caddie’s capabilities, according to the company.

“The entire sports landscape is being revolutionized by advanced analytics, and golf is the most ideal sport for the application of these concepts,” said Sal Syed, Arccos CEO and Co-Founder. “Working with Microsoft, we’re plugging into a very traditional framework – the caddie/player relationship – and taking it to the next level through the power of A.I. Considering only 3% of golfers today have access to advice from a human caddie, we’re also helping democratize the caddie experience by making it available to anyone.”

Arccos Caddie 2.0 uses a wide variety of inputs to provide a golfer with real-time insights into their optimal and alternative strategies, the company said, as well as outcome predictions, for every shot they play. Factors considered include but are not limited to:
• A user’s shot history
• The historical performance of other Arccos users
• Wind speed/direction and other weather conditions
• Elevation changes
• Hole geometry
• Hazard locations

“The PGA TOUR has done a great job of using advanced analytics to help its players practice and perform their best,” said Mike Downey, Director, Principal Evangelist – Sports at Microsoft. “At other levels of the game, capturing the necessary on-course data has been a real challenge. Arccos has cracked that code and built a robust data set, which they’re deploying via the Microsoft Azure cloud to the benefit of golfers worldwide.”

“Arccos Caddie demonstrates A.I. complementing human capability,” added Steve Guggenheimer, Corporate Vice President – A.I. Business at Microsoft. “Through the power of Microsoft Azure, amateur golfers have information at their fingertips that was not easily available before. A.I. will have a huge effect on the golf industry, and it is an exciting time to be in this space as we help Arccos lead the charge.”

I GUESS IT MUST BE WORKING? The USGA and Deloitte announced the renewal of a multiyear professional-services partnership. The two entities first teamed up in 2014 to assess existing USGA programs and develop strategies designed to better meet the evolving expectations of today’s golfers, its Allied Golf Associations, and clubs/facilities. Then in 2016, Deloitte and the USGA announced their first multiyear professional-services partnership.

“Deloitte’s outstanding thought leadership and experience have led to a pivotal evolution of our relationship with golf associations in communities across America, driving greater impact and ultimately advancing our service to the game,” stated Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “By leveraging the power of data, we are building new ways for golfers and the golf industry to connect and learn, and the investment we are making in technology now should help empower the game long into the future. Our work with Deloitte continues to show us the many possibilities that lie ahead.”

"Our relationship with the USGA is built on a common commitment to golf’s values of integrity, collaboration and the pursuit of excellence – values that Deloitte shares,” stated Cathy Engelbert, chief executive officer of Deloitte. “Deloitte not only wants to help the USGA grow the game, but increase engagement and inclusion by helping the modern golfer better connect to the game leveraging digital technology.”

For the 118th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Deloitte has designed an interactive Virtual Reality (VR) experience to give fans a unique perspective on the championship and its history with Shinnecock Hills. Fans can immerse themselves in a 360-degree, first-person perspective of Corey Pavin, who will narrate his shots from the 18th hole of the final round as he clinched his 1995 U.S. Open win at Shinnecock. They will also have an opportunity to leverage VR to take a visual and historic tour of the iconic Trophy Room in Shinnecock’s clubhouse.

WEB GEMS:

IN HIS DNA? Austin Cook had a back-up plan that was different than most aspiring PGA TOUR pros. His father is an anesthesiologist. His uncle’s a general surgeon. So it wasn’t surprising to see Cook get a degree in biology from the University of Arkansas with medical school on his mind. But Cook’s lineage includes golf, too – his grandfather was a club pro in Minneapolis who played in 92 PGA TOUR events during the 1960s and '70s. And truth be told, the grandson shared that dream. READ MORE>>>

WHILE WE’RE YOUNG! Want to speed up play in golf? Perhaps the new plan for Houston's Memorial Park Golf Course could spur golfers to play faster. Just fill the parking lot with parking meters and press players to get their rounds finished before time expires. That's right. At Houston's crown jewel of municipal golf courses READ MORE>>>

IT GOES WITH THE TERRITORY: “I dreamed of being a great golfer. I never dreamed of all this other stuff,” he said. “I feel very privileged that I’m in the position that I’m in, but I just try to live my life the way I normally would. I never wanted to be famous. I wanted to be known for my golf and that was it.” READ MORE>>>

ANSWERS: “Very few times in my life have I laid off maybe two to three days, and it seemed like it took me a month to three months to get back those three days when I took a rest. It's a tough situation. I had to practice and play all the time. My swing wasn't the best in the world and I knew it wasn’t. And then I thought, well, the only way I can win is just to outwork these fellas. After I won a couple of tournaments, I noticed these folks were practicing longer, and I don't know why that was. But they had to stay with me, and if it had been 12 hours during the day, I would have been out there 12 hours because I enjoyed it.”--Ben Hogan on his work ethic.

Ben Hogan won 64 times on the PGA TOUR including 9 major championship. In 1946, he won 13 times! His official career earnings were $322,516.

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IS BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, BUT IT IS NOT GUARANTEED. THE OPINION EXPRESSED IS THAT OF TERRY MCANDREW AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SOLICITATION TO BUY OR SELL SECURITIES IN ANY OF THE COMPANIES DISCUSSED WITHIN THIS NEWSLETTER. CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER MAY NOT BE REPRINTED OR REBROADCAST WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT OF TMAC GOLF

ANY IDEA WHO SAID THIS?“It was 14 years ago, it was a different time, it was different people, and we as an organization, we learned from it. I think that the difference then versus now is there was a lot more, we have a lot more technology, a lot more data in our hands. And frankly, ladies and gentlemen, what really happened then was just a lack of water. There just wasn't enough water put in and essentially the grass itself kind of went dormant, there wasn't enough friction on the greens.”

BRAIN TEASER: Only two players can boast winning on the PGA TOUR, Web.com Tour and Mackenzie Tour- PGA TOUR Canada. Can you name either of them?

THERE CAN NEVER BE ENOUGH! Columbus proved the world is not flat. However, that is becoming a harder and harder to believe as the digital world has taken many by storm. Flat screen televisions, tablets and phones are the world to many today and the United States Golf Association has more than its toe in the new world waters. The upcoming U.S. Open is living proof of it. Technology might be the Beelzebub for golf equipment, however the Association appears to have embraced it with its financial partner, Fox Sports.

“The USGA digital platforms continue to offer exclusive U.S. Open content,” reported Navin Singh, the USGA’s head of global content and media distribution. “ U.S. Open Facebook Live studio show will provide wall-to-wall coverage of 11 sectional qualifying sites on Monday June 4th, complimenting Fox's aforementioned sectional qualifying show,” he said.

“We're going to have video correspondents at five U.S. sectional qualifying sites doing live look-ins, we're going to have social media integration with audience questions and comments integrated into the programming and special live check-ins at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

“During championship week we'll expand our hours of coverage on U.S. Open Live programming via Facebook. Our content's going to include practice round coverage, player interviews, in-depth analysis and we'll take fans inside the ropes with players as they practice behind the scenes of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Monday through Wednesday.

“Complimenting Fox's coverage Thursday through Sunday we'll also do morning pre-round and evening wrap up shows. Our global digital coverage will include exclusive live action on four channels, two featured group channels and a featured hole channel, plus a bonus stream with sights and sounds of Shinnecock featuring first tee coverage. This year we'll feature our Flight Track technology on 12 tee boxes and Top Tracer technology on the other six. Flight Track will be used to enhance the broadcast by pairing the traditional behind-the-player camera shot with a virtual hole map presenting a real-time aerial view of the player's ball flight. Fox will also use top Top Tracer technology on their hand-held cameras for the third year in a row, giving viewers visual insights into shots from the fairway, rough, bunker and fescue. Also new for this year they will be introducing Green Reader technology to display the undulations and contours of the green using various innovations and display tactics.

“Our new multichannel video player will enable fans to customize their viewing experience. You can watch four channels at once, split screen, and we'll go picture in picture. Of course, you can also focus on one single stream and expand that to full screen. We're going to have a full channel guide detailing players as they come through holes, a full leaderboard, and content integration including highlights, social media, interactive polls and alerts. We're really excited to provide this enhanced platform to the fans, giving them a more flexible and enriched viewing experience.

“With respect to our U.S. Open app, we're going to continue to provide the best in U.S. Open content highlights, interviews, photos and features articles. We're also going to have up-to-date player locations and scoring information and a live video experience so fans can watch on the go.

“For our fans on-site we have upgraded our player locator so users will get the benefit of knowing when the players are at the practice facility doing their final prep for golf's ultimate test. We're also going to have push notifications to drive awareness and foot traffic to fan experiences on-site.”

The 118th U.S. Open app will be released on May 31st on IOS and Android devices.

CHANGE CAN BE GOOD: The USGA are stewards of the game. Within this territory is the burden of maintaining and preserving the game as it sees fit. However, this year’s national championship will possibly see a twist. Who said the USGA isn’t flexible?

In days gone by the Association settled a tie by forcing players to endure an additional 18 holes in order to break it. That isn’t going to be the case moving forward. Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA explained the change and why it came about. “How to decide a tie in one of our Open Championships has been a long-debated subject and we recently came to the conclusion, after really talking to the stakeholders in the U.S. Open. So who are the stakeholders?” Davis began. “They're the players who play in the Open, they're the fans that watch it both on-site as well as broadcasted, linear TV and digitally, and it's the vendors, it's really the club itself. And we came to the conclusion that people wanted, assuming Mother Nature's cooperative, the U.S. Open to finish Sunday. Wouldn't say it was unanimous -- so we started with that premise.

“There is no right or wrong way to determine a tie. You can do it by hole-by-hole or so-called sudden death, that's what the Masters does. You can do it by something less than 18 holes, which is what the British Open has done and what now the PGA does. It's actually it's what we do at the Women's Open. We felt that on balance I think the stakeholders just wanted us to finish. So we have made that change. We had always been 18 holes. You go way back and we used to have a 36-hole playoff. In fact there was a year in the early 1930s where they were tied after 36 holes, guess what? They went another 36 holes. 144 holes to hand out the U.S. Open trophy and that gold Nicklaus medal. So that's why we changed.”

WEB GEMS:

THEN AND NOW: Cut and not so dry: Shinnecock back with a new look. READ MORE>>>

THE TEAM: Thomas Bjorn insisted he has not called time on the Ryder Cup playing careers of Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell after naming the duo to finalize a roster of five vice captains for the meeting with the USA in France. Confirmation that Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington would form part of Bjorn’s European backroom team – Robert Karlsson had been named earlier – was widely expected but the appearance of McDowell and Donald at Wentworth on Tuesday had not been predicted. READ MORE>>>

ELEMENTARY MY DEAR WATSON: Tom Watson knows a thing or two about winning The Open and the five-time Champion Golfer believes Tiger Woods is the man to beat at Carnoustie this summer. “He will win again, without a doubt, but whether it will be at Carnoustie I don't know - but he will win. The critical factor [in winning a major] is chipping and putting. If you can make up for mistakes with great chipping and putting then you will be okay - that's what makes the difference. Whether Tiger has that right now, I don't know, but he certainly has the golf game and that is the most important factor.” READ MORE>>>

ANSWERS: “It was 14 years ago, it was a different time, it was different people, and we as an organization, we learned from it. I think that the difference then versus now is there was a lot more, we have a lot more technology, a lot more data in our hands. And frankly, ladies and gentlemen, what really happened then was just a lack of water. There just wasn't enough water put in and essentially the grass itself kind of went dormant, there wasn't enough friction on the greens.”--USGA CEO, Mike Davis on the difference between the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club previously and in 2018.

Aaron Wise and Mackenzie Hughes are the only two players to have won on the PGA TOUR, Web.com Tour and Mackenzie Tour- PGA TOUR Canada in their career.

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IS BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, BUT IT IS NOT GUARANTEED. THE OPINION EXPRESSED IS THAT OF TERRY MCANDREW AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SOLICITATION TO BUY OR SELL SECURITIES IN ANY OF THE COMPANIES DISCUSSED WITHIN THIS NEWSLETTER. CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER MAY NOT BE REPRINTED OR REBROADCAST WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT OF TMAC GOLF

ANY IDEA WHO SAID THIS?“They were huge in developing my game. I wouldn't be here without them. Jokingly think of what I would have done if I came here right out of college and it wouldn't have been good, probably. They were huge and just you know it's so different. We play week-long tournaments now, we're on the road for 20-plus weeks a year. It was just a huge learning curve for me and for me to be able to do it against some of the best players in the world is really nice. They're all great. But I played really well on both those tours and without that confidence I got from winning on both of them and competing really well on both of them, it's truly, I wouldn't be where I'm at. I wouldn't have the confidence in my game that I do.”

BRAIN TEASER: This PGA TOUR rookie made his first hole-in-one on the PGA TOUR last week at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Who is he?

VIRTUAL GOLF: The PGA TOUR is returning to the video game space in an exciting new way this summer when a PGA TOUR Career Mode that is integrated into the “The Golf Club” franchise for Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One and PC platforms.

The career mode in “The Golf Club 2019” takes a player on a journey through Q-School, the Web.com Tour and a 32-tournament PGA TOUR season, including the FedExCup Playoffs, to become the FedExCup Champion. As players progress and complete challenges, they will also attract virtual sponsors who will offer rewards for continued success.

Launching in August, “The Golf Club 2019” features six replicas of TPC courses: Summerlin, Scottsdale, Sawgrass, Southwind, Deere Run and Boston. “We are so excited for the launch of The Golf Club 2019 featuring the PGA TOUR that highlights some of our best tournaments,” said Len Brown, PGA TOUR Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President of Licensing. “This will allow our fans to take the same path to the PGA TOUR by earning their card through the Web.com Tour. Additionally, this will give gamers the opportunity to play under the same tournament conditions that our players face week in and week out. We are thrilled with this partnership.”

MONEY MAKER: Golf courses have been a successful amenity to selling the dirt surrounding it. However, when the financial crisis in 2008 hit, the strategy began to show some cracks. That appears to be a thing of the past, as a new study has come out that highlights home values are higher within golf resorts. The study was conducted by European Tour Properties, a global network of 27 golf resorts and courses, with results based on a sample of nine golf resorts and the completed sale transactions of 500 plots, villas, townhouses and apartments during 2017.

It found that homes within golf resorts are worth 19% more on average than equivalent properties outside resorts. The most valued properties within golf resorts are those with golf course views, which benefit from a 9.5% price premium compared to properties without course views.

“From the perspectives of both developers and property buyers, being able to evaluate golf property prices and show their resilience is important in making informed investment decisions, which is why we undertook this study,” said Sandra Ruttle, Real Estate Consultant at European Tour Properties. “The resorts surveyed include some of the best known and most successful case studies of international golf resort developments, so the findings are relevant in terms of what they tell us about the market today. And it is clear that properties on golf resorts, especially those with views over the golf course, generate price premiums.”

Asked what proportion of the 19% golf resort premium was attributable specifically to a tournament quality golf course versus leisure amenities, the resorts estimated more than half of the additional value (54%) was attributable to golf, with 46% attributable to leisure. The study also confirmed that the majority of buyers of golf resort properties are not golfers. In fact, more than two-thirds of home owners (67%) are non-golfers.

“With urbanization growing, owning a property on a prestigious golf resort is a much sought after investment, which carries a premium reflecting the service, security and integration with other on-site leisure facilities – all key assets in the minds of international buyers,” Ruttle continued. “The vast majority of venues within the network are located close to an airport, which increases the appeal of the locations for both property owners and people on holiday. Many are situated within established golf destinations and this, coupled with hotel and extended range of leisure facilities, makes buying a property at a European Tour Properties member venue a very attractive proposition.”

WINNER’S CLUBS: Aaron Wise earned his first career PGA TOUR victory in only his 26th career start on TOUR! He is the first rookie to win the AT&T Byron Nelson since Keegan Bradley did so in 2011. The 21-year-old entered last week ranked 99th in the world and his victory moved to 66th. He is now 18th on the FedExCup standings. “I haven't had time to reassess my goals but moving up to 18 on the FedExCup is incredible. Not many rookies have made it to the Tour Championship. When I did my goals at the beginning of the season, one of the main ones I picked to make the Tour Championship and play well. Now I have a true shot at doing that. Three weeks ago I really didn't and after a 2nd and 1st, I'm in a great spot to make that dream a reality,” he said after his victory.

His winning score of 23-under par is the third-lowest total in relation to par this season (CIMB Classic and Sentry Tournament of Champions won with 24-under par). In his previous start before the AT&T Byron Nelson, he finished runner-up to Jason Day at the Wells Fargo Championship. Wise is the fifth player with a win and a runner-up in back-to-back starts this season. The other four players (Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Jason Day, Justin Thomas) are all currently in the top-10 of both FedExCup rankings and the Official World Golf Ranking. Here is what Aaron Wise had in his bag to win the 2018 AT&T Byron Nelson:

COMPETITION!? A new global golf circuit is being planned, multiple sources have confirmed to Reuters, in what would be the biggest upheaval in the professional game in decades. To be named the World Golf Series, the circuit proposed by the British-based World Golf Group has been in the planning stages for more than a year. The group hopes to stage 15-to-20 yearly tournaments around the world, each offering a purse of close to $20 million, according to sources familiar with the plans. Such a figure would dwarf the prize money currently on offer on the game’s richest circuit, the U.S. PGA Tour, whose biggest purse this season is $11 million. Several blue-chip sponsors are believed to be on board for the World Golf Series if top players can be signed. READ MORE>>>

R.I.P.: “It is always difficult to lose a member of your family,” LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said in a statement posted on Twitter. “Carol Mann was a tremendous competitor, but an even more amazing person. She was special in every way and she certainly left the game and the LPGA better than she found it. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.” READ MORE>>>

ANSWERS: “They were huge in developing my game. I wouldn't be here without them. Jokingly think of what I would have done if I came here right out of college and it wouldn't have been good, probably. They were huge and just you know it's so different. We play week-long tournaments now, we're on the road for 20-plus weeks a year. It was just a huge learning curve for me and for me to be able to do it against some of the best players in the world is really nice. They're all great. But I played really well on both those tours and without that confidence I got from winning on both of them and competing really well on both of them, it's truly, I wouldn't be where I'm at. I wouldn't have the confidence in my game that I do.”--21 year old Aaron Wise on the Web.com tour. His win marks the 500th PGA TOUR victory by a former Web.com Tour member

PGA TOUR rookie Tyler Duncan holed a pitching wedge from 111 yards at No. 8 for his first hole-in-one on the PGA TOUR last week at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IS BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, BUT IT IS NOT GUARANTEED. THE OPINION EXPRESSED IS THAT OF TERRY MCANDREW AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SOLICITATION TO BUY OR SELL SECURITIES IN ANY OF THE COMPANIES DISCUSSED WITHIN THIS NEWSLETTER. CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER MAY NOT BE REPRINTED OR REBROADCAST WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT OF TMAC GOLF

ANY IDEA WHO SAID THIS?“I personally think golf is a lot more difficult today if you want to try and play for a living. There is so much information you’re giving something up to someone else. We have had video technology since the 70s and everyone can now video their swing and we’re 40 years into it at least (with video technology) and still no two swings look a like. But the information you can get off Trackman for optimization, those are things that make golf hard on TOUR. If you’re a kid exposed to all the information versus someone that doesn’t have any of it you’re behind the eight ball. Its more of a bomber’s paradise today but there is no formula to it because its different everyday. The hall of fame is full of different swings, grips and positions at the top.”

BRAIN TEASER: This player saw his streak of consecutive cuts made end at 30 over the weekend. Who is he?

IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO MONEY: The second United States Open, in 1896, was played at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, a course situated on a strip of Long Island once owned by the Shinnecock Indians and built by a Shinnecock work crew. But, with the U.S. Open headed back to Shinnecock Hills next month, the relationship between the tribe and the U.S.G.A. may be fraying. READ MORE>>>

SEE YOU IN COURT: ECCO Sko A/S (“ECCO” or “Plaintiff”) filed a patent infringement complaint alleging that Skechers USA, Inc. (“Skechers”) is infringing four of their golf shoe patents. The cleat structure and arrangement of cleats on the soles appears to be at the center of the dispute. READ MORE>>>

LONG IS RARELY WRONG: All of the forces that conspired to spark an ongoing surge in distance—club and ball technology and physical fitness among them—have made elite distance a significantly bigger advantage than it used to be. The longest hitters land their tee shots close enough to the green to use wedges on their approach shots. Those high-lofted clubs can cut through the rough with such ease that it largely nullifies the penalty. Rory McIlroy, a prototypical bomb-and-gouge player, said he would gladly give up 20 to 25 yards off the tee if it would mean hitting the fairway an extra 15% of the time. “One hundred percent, I would do that,” he said. “But we grow up around this game not knowing how to hit an easy driver. You stand up with a driver and you hit it as hard as you can and you hope it’s going to go in the fairway.” READ MORE>>>

WEB GEMS:

SECOND GUESSING? “Would it have been better if I’d never won the Masters?” It’s the shocking question Danny Willett’s had to ask as he sunk to world No 434. READ MORE>>>

THE TIGER EFFECT: “The biggest thing I remember from it was how poorly he played in those first two days and yet he still finished 12th in the tournament,” he added. “That’s when you learn that, ‘my God, hitting it has got nothing to do with how you actually perform and score.’ Because literally he hit it sideways for two days and still got himself in contention.” READ MORE>>>

ANSWERS: “I personally think golf is a lot more difficult today if you want to try and play for a living. There is so much information you’re giving something up to someone else. We have had video technology since the 70s and everyone can now video their swing and we’re 40 years into it at least (with video technology) and still no two swings look a like. But the information you can get off Trackman for optimization, those are things that make golf hard on TOUR. If you’re a kid exposed to all the information versus someone that doesn’t have any of it you’re behind the eight ball. Its more of a bomber’s paradise today but there is no formula to it because its different everyday. The hall of fame is full of different swings, grips and positions at the top.”--Paul Azinger

Matt Kuchar, a top-10 machine, had the longest streak of consecutive cuts made at 30 ended at the AT&T Byron Nelson at Trinity Forest Club in Dallas. He hadn't missed a weekend since last year's Houston Open, which comes the week before the Masters.

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IS BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, BUT IT IS NOT GUARANTEED. THE OPINION EXPRESSED IS THAT OF TERRY MCANDREW AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SOLICITATION TO BUY OR SELL SECURITIES IN ANY OF THE COMPANIES DISCUSSED WITHIN THIS NEWSLETTER. CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER MAY NOT BE REPRINTED OR REBROADCAST WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT OF TMAC GOLF

ANY IDEA WHO SAID THIS?“When I look at the bigger picture of things, obviously winning on the PGA TOUR is great and it's the first win I had in three years since the FedExCup. It was a struggle so there's a lot of ups and downs and reassured my position on the PGA TOUR but the bigger picture of things, it was the right time, the right platform to come out with our struggle, my wife's struggle dealing with alcoholism. That's really the best thing that came out of me winning.”

BRAIN TEASER: Who is the defending champion of the Regions Tradition, the first of the PGA Tour Champions’ five major championships?

DON’T STOP BELIEVING! Aspiration is an important part of the golf business. Recreational players that aspire to compete at a higher level can play many of the same venues the professional circuit toils on. They can shoot comparable scores, yet not under the tournament conditions. However, it doesn’t stop those from believing or dreaming of some day playing against the best. Case in point, the USGA accepted a total of 9,049 entries for the 2018 U.S. Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

However, the number drops significantly in the over 50 crowd. The USGA reported it accepted 2,738 entries for the 39th U.S. Senior Open Championship, scheduled for June 28-July 1, 2018 at The Broadmoor (East Course). The U.S. Senior Open is open to professional golfers, and amateurs with a handicap index not exceeding 3.4 who are 50 years of age at the start of championship play. Conversely, to be eligible for US Open qualifying a player must have a handicap index not exceeding 1.4, or be a professional.

NEW NUMBER TWO: The European Tour has announced that Guy Kinnings is to join the European Tour in the role of Deputy CEO and Ryder Cup Director, reporting to the Chief Executive, Keith Pelley. Aside from assisting Pelley in corporate, commercial and tournament areas of the business, Kinnings will also take over the reins of the Ryder Cup Director role when current incumbent Richard Hills steps down at the conclusion of this year’s contest at Le Golf National in September. READ MORE>>>

WEB GEMS:

GOING OUT ON TOP: Ben Bender decided to go out on top. The 93-year-old from Ohio had been playing golf for 65 years when he hit his first-ever hole-in-one last month and promptly announced he had played his final ever round. READ MORE>>>

GOLF’S MOST INTERESTING MAN: Miguel Angel Jimenez shot an 8-under 64 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Regions Tradition, the first of the PGA Tour Champions’ five major championships. Jimenez birdied the first four holes in a front-nine 30 at Greystone Golf & Country Club. The Spaniard took the outright lead with a short birdie putt on No. 13 after a rain delay of 1 hour, 17 minutes. READ MORE>>>

ANSWERS: “When I look at the bigger picture of things, obviously winning on the PGA TOUR is great and it's the first win I had in three years since the FedExCup. It was a struggle so there's a lot of ups and downs and reassured my position on the PGA TOUR but the bigger picture of things, it was the right time, the right platform to come out with our struggle, my wife's struggle dealing with alcoholism. That's really the best thing that came out of me winning.”--Last year’s AT&T Byron Nelson champion, Billy Horschel.

Bernhard Langer is the defending champ and two-time winner of the Regions Traditions. His final-round 64 was the lowest round of the tournament and his eighth consecutive round in the 60s at Greystone Golf & Country Club. He opened the 2018 tournament shooting 70. He has a record 10 senior major titles and is trying to become the first to win the Tradition three straight years since it began in 1989.

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IS BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, BUT IT IS NOT GUARANTEED. THE OPINION EXPRESSED IS THAT OF TERRY MCANDREW AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SOLICITATION TO BUY OR SELL SECURITIES IN ANY OF THE COMPANIES DISCUSSED WITHIN THIS NEWSLETTER. CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER MAY NOT BE REPRINTED OR REBROADCAST WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT OF TMAC GOLF